Greg Jefferson: Early voters flocking to polls

A record number of people — 1,078 — cast ballots in the first half-hour of early voting, which runs from today to Oct. 31, County Judge Nelson Wolff announced during a press conference this morning.

Wolff, Texas Secretary of State Hope Andrade and county Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen urged voters to take advantage of early balloting in order to avoid long lines on Election Day, Nov. 4.

“If you wait, you will be waiting,” said Andrade.

Callanen said the only problems reported to her office this morning stemmed from a couple of inexperienced election judges who “needed to get their sea legs.” As of 9:30 a.m., she hadn’t gotten word of any electronic voting machine problems.

To deal with the turnout the contest between Barack Obama and John McCain is expected to foster, the county increased the number of early voting sites to 41 this year.